Tales of people seeing ghostly doubles of themselves have been told throughout history. Doppelgangers were once believed to be harbingers of death, appearing to a person just before his demise. These days, some theorize that a doppelganger is evidence of the many worlds theory of quantum physics. Whatever a doppelganger is, there is no way to control one.

Difficulty: Moderately ChallengingInstructions

1Look at your doppelganger. For many people, doppelgangers appear in their peripheral vision. If you can't turn and look directly at your doppelganger, especially if the doppelganger disappears when you turn toward it, you have probably misperceived a passing person or reflection of yourself.

2Touch your doppelganger. If you can do this, your doppelganger is a real person and not an optical illusion.

3Speak to your doppelganger. You may find that your doppelganger is a distant relative who looks like you through a coincidence of genetics. Your doppelganger may be a twin who was separated from you at birth.

4Consider the possibility of a disorder. If others are telling you that you have a neurological disorder, you may be suffering from doppelganger syndrome, in which you believe a doppelganger of yourself exists. You may think that the doppelganger is living a separate life from you or that your doppelganger has stolen a part of your brain or personality.

5Realize that memory, like perception, is fallible. You may be convinced you remember seeing a doppelganger, but you may have confused two events. If you've undergone hypnosis, you may have had a memory suggested to you and now can't tell that it isn't a real memory. If you've suffered from a bout of sleep paralysis, you may have experienced a hallucination.

6Don't panic. Many people who relate tales of seeing their doppelgangers live for many years afterward. Seeing your doppelganger doesn't mean you're going to die, only that you've got a fascinating story to tell.

7. If your Doppleganger is indeed a copy of you, celebrate, you've just found the perfect companion for all your role-playing sessions, and if you're morally ambiguous, an equally perfect alibi for your next bank heist.

8, Unless the doppelganger wants to kill you and take over your life, it is actually a cool thing to have happen! Have all sorts of fun! First thing: visit that friend of yours who has that dirty fantasy about twins and tell her that it just became real.

« Last Edit: August 10, 2011, 04:23:44 PM by EchoMirage »

Logged

"Captain, the buttocks are moving from the pink into the red and purple spectrum! We cannot maintain this rate of spanking any longer!"

PoisonAlchemist: Man Muro, you boost my confidence and then you just go crush it with a heartbreaking work of staggering genius.Pariah: Don't tell him things like that, if his head gets any bigger he'll float off like a weather ballon :p

Apparently, my Doppelganger is less than law abiding. I've been "recognized" by bail bondsmen (letting me know they're there for me), rough looking sorts on the street (asking me if it feels good to be "out"), and snaggle-toothed tweakers of ancient-looking vintage (nearly tried to give me a hug... *shudders*).